With a BFA in fine arts, I have only recently pivoted to the world of design and the applied arts. I have always tried to live my life through creativity and visuals, so I feel accustomed to the visual world and critiquing images. Until recently, my goal after a Bachelor’s degree was to get a degree in education and begin teaching right away. However, as I began to encounter the end of my undergraduate career, I felt a sense of panic as I began to consider the increasingly digital world I was entering. I felt prepared to teach fine arts the way I learned them, but entirely unprepared to cater to the changing world in which applied arts are more omnipresent than ever. As I had recently found a love for working in functional ceramics, I found design to be the next step in my path toward worthwhile, utilitarian, and constructive creation. I dipped my toes into design last semester, and fell in love with the critical nature and the challenge ahead of me. I find my painterly instincts coming out a lot, especially entering this class. My favorite thing about design is how much it can alter perception, how a typeface can completely shift the understanding of a poster or brand logo. As I enter the world of design, I have personal goals to expand my tool belt and widen my understanding of creating. I also understand this endeavor to be a journey to better serve my future students through my understanding of applied arts, as well as the real-world experience I hope to gain.
